In many process and manufacturing devices, particularly where a plurality of items must be assembled and transported and carefully aligned, it is critical that the items be rapidly collected, assembled, aligned, retained in fixed position, and transported through a process device which quite often includes the delicate and precise matching of a secondary operating feature in connection with the products carried through the machinery and for which the process is applicable.
Such a process and apparatus is often seen in the container-filling and transporting devices, such as for soft drink containers, cans and bottles, milk bottles, wine, and beer bottles and cans, etc. More specifically, such processing apparatus is disclosed and described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 07/617,685.
The invention of this present application is an improvement in the carrier, transporting and retaining devices of the prior art, and more clearly and specifically describes the pocket plates referred to in application Ser. No. 617,685.